A little help from my Friends
by Judo Chick
Summary: Someone on the team is attacked. How will others on the team react?
1. Chapter 1

"Stella?" Aiden asked.

"What can I do for you Aiden?" Stella asked. "Aiden?" Stella noticed Aiden's left hand was shaking. "Are you okay?" Stella pulled her young partner out of the middle of the station house. Stella watched Aiden shake her head 'no' and led her into the CSI crash room. "Aiden what happened?" Stella noticed that her young friend had a small amount of blood on her hand.

"I…I…" Stella caught a hold of Aiden's arm just as she lost her footing. She lowered her to the ground and leaned her up against the wall.

"Aiden sweetie what happened to you? Who did this to you?" Stella looked Aiden up and down searching for injuries while she hit the speed dial for Mac's phone. "Mac, can you come down to the crash room, NOW," she said before hanging up and focusing back to Aiden who was shaking and crying slightly. "It's okay we'll take care of you, now just tell me what happened."

"He…he…" Aiden choked on her words as she curled up into a small ball against the wall.

"It's okay, it's okay, take your time." Stella took off her jacket and covered Aiden's midsection.

"He raped me."

Stella was shocked at Aiden's statement and immediately dialled 911. She handed the phone to Mac when he came into the room and continued to try to keep Aiden calm. "It's okay, help is on the way."


	2. Chapter 2

Stella felt Aiden's tight grip on her hand loosen as she slumped from her sitting position. "Aiden, Aiden open your eyes." No response came from Stella's plea. Stella's eyes glanced down to between Aiden's legs and immediately saw the problem; a dark crimson stain was beginning to revile itself through her pants. She moved quickly spreading Aiden out carefully on the floor and placing the jacket Mac had given her firmly between Aiden's legs.

Mac's phone rang immediately after he finished giving the 911 operators all the information they required. "Mac," Flack's voice resounded in the usual tone. "I just got a 911 call to our own station house, what gives?"

"We have a situation, Stella and I are handling it," Mac said in a flat tone before hanging up and turning his attention to Stella. "How is she?"

"Pulse is within a normal rang but she's losing a lot of blood." Stella had one hand on Aiden's wrist the other was holding the jacket firmly in place.

"I'll go meet the bus out front," Mac said before running out of the room. He left with such speed that he almost ran right into Hawkes. "Sheldon."

"Mac? What's up?" Sheldon knew that Mac rarely ran and was never flustered but in this case he was doing both.

"Go help Stella!" Mac's voice left no room for an explanation, which Hawks knew, meant it was serious. He opened the door to the crash room and rushed in to find Stella franticly trying to help her friend.

"What happened?" he asked knelling down beside Aiden taking over checking her vitals.

"She came up to me in the front room. I noticed that she was a little shaken up. I brought her back her, she said she was raped, then she passed out." Stella started to become more aware of what had really gone on and she couldn't believe it. Someone had not only attacked a member of the NYPD but her friend and co-worker. She snapped out of her daze when Aiden began to stir. "Aiden, it's Stella, can you hear me?"

"Stel?" Aiden said in a daze her eyes fluttering open slightly.

"Good girl, help is on the way." Stella noticed that now her own hands were shaking and she couldn't make them stop. Seconds later she was pushed aside by the paramedics. She was supposed to be stronger than this, she was supposed to be calm in this sort of situation. Now she was sitting on the floor with Aiden's blood on her hands unable to move as Hawkes helped the paramedics. They left in a rush leaving the bloody jacket next to her on the ground.

"Stella! What the hell happened?" Flack asked running into the room. "I just saw Aiden going out on a stretcher with Mac and Hawkes. "Stella?" Stella didn't give Flack an answer, she couldn't, she was in shock. Flack noticed her body shaking he took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders. "It's okay," he said sitting down next to her pulling out his handkerchief cleaning the blood off her hands.

"She was raped," Stella finally managed to force out as she got her shakes under control.

"Aiden!"

"We should get to the hospital. You're going to need to get her statement." Stella got up of the floor and washed her hands in the sink. "We should call her family, get her contact card. Someone should go tell Danny he'll want to go to the hospital, we need to get someone covering our cases. Someone covering Hawkes in the morgue…"

"Stella!" Flack yelled breaking her out of her trance. "Relax, it's okay. Now I'm going to take you to the hospital and then I'll come back her and take care of all that stuff but right now you just have to stay calm. Okay?"

"Okay." Stella said nodding her head heading out to the car with Flack. "I just don't understand it. Why Aiden?" Stella asked once they began to drive.

Flack didn't talk he could feel his rage building up as he drove. "DAMMIT!" he yelled as they got stuck at a traffic light. "That's it." Flack pulled the dash siren out from the centre consol in the car and turned it on almost throwing it through the front windshield. After five minutes of very creative driving on Flack's part they reached the hospital. "Call me the second you hear anything. I'm going to go back to the station and make sure everything is taken care of and get Danny."

"Thanks Flack." Stella smiled before getting out and heading into the hospital. "How is she?" she asked when she finally found Mac in the waiting room.

"We haven't heard anything yet. Sheldon went back with her when we got here."

"Who would do this?"

"She'll be okay Stella." Mac said sitting down on a hard plastic chair. "She's tough."

"I know, I know." Stella chewed on her bottom lip and looked back and forth between the emergency room doors and talking with Mac. "Flack is going to get…" Stella trailed off as Hawkes came into the waiting room. "How is she? Is she okay?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Aiden's almost out of surgery," Hawkes sighed trying to keep calm for the rest of the group. "She was raped with a foreign object. They aren't sure with what but it did a lot of damage. Physically she'll recover but emotionally, it may take a while."

"Okay," Mac said taking charge. "Stella you stay here till we can get Aiden's family is here. Sheldon do you mind staying and getting as much information from the doctors as you can and any trace evidence from them."

"Sure thing Mac."

"I'm going to go and get Aiden's contact information and get our kits." Mac headed out with Aiden on his mind and how to get whoever attacked her.

"Why don't you come back with me?" Sheldon asked Stella. "I think it's in Aiden's best interests to have someone she can trust nearby when the aesthetic wears off." Stella nodded in agreement. Hawkes gave her a short smile before they slipped back between the hospital doors. He knew that she needed to be looked after along with the rest of the unit, having someone close to you in such a vulnerable position was not easy for anyone to stomach, he himself was having a hard time.

Stella sat beside Aiden's bed waiting for her to wake up. She found herself playing with little items she found in her pocket; cell phone, apartment keys, little balls of lint. After about an hour, just as she began bored with her fidgeting Aiden began to stir. "Aiden?"

"Stella?" Aiden's groggy voice asked. "What happened?" Aiden attempted to sit up and get out of bed but could barely lift her head. "I feel like I've been…" And then the memories came flooding back and she couldn't bring herself to speak.

"Aiden talk to me, tell me what happened." Stella took hold of Aiden's hand as she began to cry. Stella felt so helpless, she wished Mac was there, not so much for Aiden but for herself, Mac had a way of taking charge of a situation and making everything seem okay. She needed that now. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Mac holding my hand." Stella assumed that Aiden was talking about the ambulance ride over and took it as a very good sign that Aiden could remember.

"Do you remember who did this to you?"

"Ya,"

Aiden seemed a little to calm for Stella's liking. She was expecting Aiden to start to describe the guy and going into a big long explanation on where it happened and where to find all the evidence was. But nothing, short one-word sentences were all she got. A knock came from the door that made Aiden slightly jump. "It's okay, I'll be right back." Stella gave Aiden's hand a little squeeze before she got up. When she opened the door she saw Mac and a tall man with dark hair and eye. She immediately saw the resemblance and connected that it was Aiden's brother.

"How is she?" Mac asked holding the other man at bay. It was obvious that Aiden's brother wanted get in there as soon as he could.

"Withdrawn and spooked. But she seems to have a good memory of what happened. Getting her to talk, however, may be a little tricky."

"Okay," Mac said with a nod. "I'm going to get you to process Aiden as soon as she feels ready. Danny is doing trace on her clothes and Flack will be by after your done to get a statement. In the meantime this is Neil, Aiden's brother. Go on in."

Neil carefully slipped by Stella and in one careful motion took his sister up into his arms and let her cry. Mac and Stella stood in amazement, they had never seen Aiden like this before and it was obvious by his actions that they had a very tight bond, one that was now coming in handy. "Hey it's okay sweetie, you're okay."

Neil continued to comfort his sister as Mac and Stella slipped out. "I brought your kit, maybe Neil can help keep her calm." Mac was back to being all business. It was the way he dealt with things. If he was busy working he was occupied and didn't have to dwell on the crisis.

"Okay, I'll call you when I'm done. Thanks Mac." Stella forced a smile to her boss and then went back into Aiden's room. Neil was now sitting beside the bed talking calmly to his sister. "Aiden…" she paused not wanting to disturb her.

"It's okay Stella, you can start." Aiden sighed taking hold of her brother's hand. "Will you stay?"

"Of course. I'll tell you about my new job," Neil said knowing that he had to keep her mind off of whatever it was that Stella was going to do. "How does that sound?"

Aiden nodded as she tried to keep her tear from falling down her face.

"Well it's in Jersey," Neil started brushing the salt water off her cheeks. "But I don't mind the commute. It would be nice to have something closer to home but whatever. I've got some really great classes, grade eleven and twelve chem. And bio. The kids are great and I'm also coaching the co-ed soccer team." Neil paused as he saw the discomfort on his sister's face. He wasn't paying attention to what the detective was doing but he knew it wasn't pleasant. "I'm going to find out at the end of the year if the job is going to be permanent, if so I may invest in a place in Jersey; settle down, get a house, wife, 2.5 kids, the works." Neil trying to keep the very dark situation light but it didn't seem to be working.

"Stella can you please stop." Aiden couldn't stay still for very long. She curled up and hugged her knees to her chest. "I'm sorry, I…"

"It's okay Aiden, I'll come back in a minute." Stella left her kit and walked out into the hall where she ran into a very disgruntled looking Flack.

"Is she ready to give me a statement?"

"No she's taking a minute."

"How is she?"

"Strong but weak at the same time. Her brother is in there with her."

"If I was him I'd be out going to find the rat bastard who…"

"Well that's not his job. His job is to get her better. Our job is to find the guy."

"Why her?"

"Why anyone. Listen Flack, we can get someone else to do this if you don't think your head I'll be in the game."

"No I'm fine. I'm going to go grab a cup of coffee, you want?"

"I'm fine thanks Flack."


	4. Chapter 4

Stella walked back into Aiden's room after about fifteen minutes. "Are you okay if I start again?"

Aiden nodded pensively and took a hold of her brother's hand. She really didn't want Stella probing around her body; it was odd being on the victims end of things.

"I'll be as quick as I can."

Aiden nodded again and turned her attention towards Neil. "So how's it going with Shelly? Is she going to be the wife and mother of those 2.5 kids?" Aiden was doing her best to keep her mind off of things.

"We broke up," Neil said blankly.

"I never liked her anyway." Aiden smiled and then made a face. She knew how worried her brother was and wanted him to think she was fine, although she was not to sure herself.

"I'm seeing this new girl her name is Laura, she's nice, you'll like her."

"Why haven't I met her yet? You've been holding out on me…" Aiden paused as Stella lifted her grown. She tightly gripped her brother hand and closed her eyes.

Neil took his other hand and lightly stoked the top of Aiden's providing as much comfort as her could. "It's okay it's almost over. You are so brave. Good girl." Neil continued to take till Stella was finished, once Aiden noticed she cried a few tears, but she seemed to be getting a hold of her emotions.

"Aiden," Stella said after she had put everything in her kit back. "Flack needs to get your statement, do you want to do it later or…"

"I'll do it now."

"Are you sure?"

Aiden paused and thought. "Yes," she nodded turning to her brother. "I'm going to do this alone, I don't want you…" she trailed off, she could bring herself to tell the whole story in front of her brother, he didn't need to know everything, espically not the gritty details.

"Okay, I'll be right outside though, so if you need me just call. Alright?"

"Alright."


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey Flack." Aiden said.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"I've had better days."

"You know, we can do this later if you're not feeling up to it." Flack didn't want to put any extra pressure on his friend. It wasn't fair that this happened to her and it wasn't fair to push her into something that she wasn't ready for.

"No, it's okay, better to do it when it's fresh." Aiden rationalized knowing full well that she didn't want to tell the story but didn't want to seem helpless in front of her co-worker.

"Okay but if you want to stop just tell me," Flack said taking out his notebook. "Let's start with where you went last night?"

"I finished work around eight and took the subway home."

"Did you notice anyone starring, following you, making you uncomfortable in anyway?"

"No," Aiden shook her head and brushed away a tear.

"Okay so you got home, then what happened?"

"I had a beer, watched the news and went to bed." Aiden paused and took a sharp breath in. "I woke up when my alarm went off, got up had a bowl of cereal and then headed to the subway again. I… I was early so I got off on station ahead so I could walk because it was a nice day and because the subway was congested. I stopped to get a cup of coffee and spilt on my…" Aiden's tears began to flow rapidly.

"It's okay, talk your time," Flack placed his hand on Aiden's shoulder trying to reassure her that she was safe.

"I went into the bathroom to clean up the coffee I spilt there was a guy in the bathroom, I didn't want to know why so I left and started down the street. Someone came up behind me and…" Aiden hesitated. "He pulled me into an alley. I don't remember what he did, I just remember trying to get away."

"Can you describe him?"

"White male, 30's, 6"2, blond curly hair, blue eyes, I've seen him before I just…"

"Aiden you're doing great." Flack sat on the edge of the bed trying to give her support. "What else do you remember?"

"I woke up with the guy fixing my hair and my clothes. When he noticed I was awake he took off. I got up and walked to the station house and found Stella. You know the rest."

"We'll get this guy. You did good." Flack noticed discomfort in Aiden's eyes. "Aiden?" Aiden's head drooped down to the side. The monitors continued to beep so Flack didn't freak put but none the less was worried. "Hey Aiden wake up." Flack snapped his fingers in front of her face and brought her back around. "You want me to get the doctor?"

"No I'm okay. But could you get my brother?"

"Ya sure, I'll come by later to check up on you." Flack smiled before he walked out. "She wants you," he said to Neil. "I think she needs you. Take care of our girl."

"Don't worry I will," Neil got up from his sitting position on the floor and stood at the door. "Get this guy, please."


	6. Chapter 6

"So what do we have?" Mac asked looking at the evidence in the lab.

"Aiden said the guy was familiar; white male, 30's, 6"2, blond curly hair, blue eyes. We're going to get her with a sketch artist when she's up for it. Then the basics, heading to work, got pulled into an alley." Flack sat down on a chair in the corner and shook his head it all seemed unreal. "I've got officers canvassing the area for anyone who saw anything. I mean this guy attacked in broad daylight someone must have seen or heard something."

"Danny?" Mac asked.

"I got nothing on her clothes, no prints, nothing. The only thing I got was her own blood on her pants, and coffee. The only thing I got was a partial print on her bracelet charm." Danny paused and looked at his notes. "Someone new what they were doing. I saw Aiden walk in this morning she didn't look straight at me but I didn't see anything wrong with her."

"Stella what did you get off of the vict… Aiden?"

"She has defensive wounds on one hand and a bruise on her wrist suggesting she fought with one hand and the other one was held with considerable force. Rape kit turned up no semen but a lot of bruising in the vaginal area. We got some skin from under her nails, I sent it to Jane."

"Okay, once we get the results run with them. In the mean time I want everyone going through Aiden's cases looking for anyone who said anything that would result in what happened. I want to see all results before you go out and Flack is part of all interrogations." Mac paused; he knew that although everyone was focused on the task at hand they also felt personally violated on the attack of their friend. "Stella keep checking in with Aiden and her brother. We are going to get this guy."

Everyone nodded and headed out to do his or her individual jobs, everyone except Danny. "Hey boss I was wondering if I could…" Danny looked down at his feet. "I just haven't…I want to see…make sure, she's…"

"Go ahead Danny."

"Thanks boss." Danny smiled and headed out.

He had to go see Aiden; it had been on his mind since he heard, make sure she was all right. He drove to the hospital and walked along the corridors of the hospital. When he reached her room he noticed a rather large guy sitting outside the door reading a book. "Can I help you?" he asked looking up from his book.

"Danny Messer I work with Aiden."

"Neil Burn, I'm Aiden's brother. Nice to meet you." Neil stood up and shook Danny's hand. "She kicked me out when the doctor came to take a look at her."

"How is she doing?"

"My sister is a fighter. When she was nine I took her Elmo doll and she broke my fingers." Neil laughed and shook his head smiling. "If there is one thing she is good at it's taking care of herself." Neil paused when the doctor came out. "How is she?"

"Healing well. It will still be a couple of days before she can leave. We suggest after this type of injury she talk to a counsellor."

"That's also department policy," Danny said. "Can I go in?"

"Sure," the doctor said before walking down the hall.

"Are you okay if I go in?" Danny asked Neil.

"Ya, I'll stay out here."

"Hey," Danny said walking in the door of Aiden's room.

"Danny," Aiden smiled as her friend came into her line of view. She was still slightly drugged and still couldn't sit up, but was glad to she Danny. "Is this social or business?"

"Social, checking up on you. Mac is working me into the ground and you're no where to pick up my slack." Danny sat on the edge of her bed. "How are you doing?"

"Well I don't feel like dancing." Aiden said trying to sit up.

"Hey take it easy," Danny said helping her get up. "You okay?" he asked noticing a pang of pain on her face.

"I'm getting there. Have you found anything?"

"We're following some leads, we'll let you know when we've…" Danny saw tears flowing out of Aiden's eyes and rolling down her cheeks in silence. He had never seen her cry before or even get teary eyed. "Hey Aiden it's okay."

"It's not okay Danny!" Aiden yelled, another thing that Danny Messer was not accustom to. "This stuff isn't supposed to happen to me. I'm the one who get the evidence, who finds the suspects. I'm not the one who sits in a hospital bed barely able to sit up asking the cops if they've found the guy so I don't have to worry and I can get some sleep!" Aiden was in full hysterics she couldn't control herself. "I should have just gone straight to work, if I had of this wouldn't have happened."

Danny wrapped his arms around his friend and rubbed her back until she calmed down. "Aiden this is not your fault, and I know that you know that," Danny started, "Now I'm going to go back to the lab and find this rat bastard and you are going to stay here and get better. You hear me?"

"Ya I here you," Aiden said glad that she had such a good friend like Danny. "Thanks for visiting, it really means a lot to me Danny."

"Forget about it," Danny said with a wink before walking out into the hall. Right out of the door he made a sharp turn and leaned up against the wall taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes.

"It's not easy seeing some one you care about like that." Neil patted Danny on the shoulder before entering Aiden's room.

Danny stood in the hallway for about a minute collecting himself before he headed back to the lab. He was going to get this guy and when he did it was going to take every ounce of self-control he had not to kill him. "Please tell me we got a hit on that print," he said to himself and his computer once he got back to the lab. He brought up the database and almost lost his breath. He went running out of the lab to Mac's office. "Mac we got a hit on the finger print."

"Who are we looking at?"

"Lilly," Danny paused. "Omar Lily."


End file.
